3-23-2024, Personal update on Yvon Prehn—why you haven’t heard from me for some time

I really dislike talking about myself, and only do it when it affects the Bible805 and Effective Church Communications ministries are affected. This is one of those times. If you are interested in my personal drama, read on, but nothing critical here as after this tale of challenges and some technical modifications that will take a few months to work out the ministries will continue.

It has been a rather challenging few months for me with one illness after another from before Christmas into February, (e-coli infection, RSV respiratory infection, discovered a heart anomaly, that I daily now wear a nitroglycerin patch for). We also started some major much needed updates on our 60+ year old mobile home, which requires packing up and moving everything out (a good time to clean and sort) and then a few weeks ago  I had a severe fall. I was carrying some boxes down the outside stairs, slipped, tried to turn and grasp the rail, but missed and did a dead-drop backward with nothing breaking my fall, and hit my head on concrete.

I was fortunate that the Lord did not take me home at that time as that certainly could have happened with the severity of the fall. I lay there for I don’t know how long; went to a local Emergency Care (which I later found was a mistake because after a head trauma, you should go immediately to a hospital and get a scan). I was quite battered, but they told me nothing was broken, though I was “really messed up.”

I tried to work through the pain (which was stupid) but when I couldn’t stop the nausea and disorientation, I went to my regular doctor, and he told me I had a very severe concussion. He forbid me to do much of anything for several weeks, which wasn’t too hard to obey as I couldn’t seem to get out of bed. My doctor knows me personally as he goes to my church, and immediately added, “And that means no more Bible teaching for a time.” Time away from creating videos, podcasts, and various updates on websites was also a necessity.

That is why you haven’t heard much from me lately. I’ve been sleeping 11-12 hours a day, plus naps, and trying to rest my brain and body. It’s getting better. I’m not sick to my stomach all the time and was able to go to church last Sunday for the first time in weeks. I’m able to start doing some online ministry work. My house redoing is a disaster on pause.

All that to say, my previous plans for what I was going to do on the Bible805 site and the Effective Church Communications ministry ground to a halt. Fortunately I had pre-recorded Lenten devotionals (if you haven’t watched them, check out the “Shorts” section on www.Youtube.com/Bible805 or www.tiktok.com/@Bible805). But the many other things I was planning to do for you before Easter didn't get done.

And then as I was getting a bit better my email service shut me down and wouldn’t allow me to send any more emails until I did some technical authentical I had no idea how to do, I asked for clarification and help, they didn’t answer. I offered to pay for help, still no answer.

When things like that seemed blocked in every way, I assume the Lord is leading me in another direction. It has been that way in the past and though challenging, always ultimately good. So, I started doing an in-depth search for a new email newsletter provider.

I am beyond excited about what I have found in www.Beehiiv.com . It is truly not like any other newsletter program I’ve ever used (and I’ve tried quite a few). It honestly seems to care more about communicating content than complex advertising systems and various links, bothersome emails, and pathways to rope subscribers into a purchasing journey of some sort.

I’ll do more about it as I learn it.

In the meantime……

I am currently praying about what to do next as I feel like the Lord has kept me around for a reason. It is still very hard for me to work with the intensity I did in the past. I know I’m still healing.

In the coming months as I pray and seek the Lord’s will, you can expect a resumption of newsletter, though it will take time to settle into a schedule for me, additional content and materials, but they will be of a more varied nature. I know I have a large amount of content that needs to be organized so people can access it.

I can’t say much more than that for now except that God is so good and I am encouraged and excited about the future.

My biggest prayer request is that I use this time to discern the Lord’s will and that I finish the work I know He has called me to do to “equip the saints (and that is all of you) for the work of the ministry.” Exactly what that means in practice, I will be seeking to discover and will share it with all of you as I do.

Please pray for wisdom, strength, and healing for me to do all the Lord has wonderfully and graciously given me to do.

1. Just as I finished a little video on “Clean Monday” and was preparing to send it out, was when my email provider, which had been giving me all sorts of problems, put the block on my account—it is a bit late, but I trust still useful: https://youtu.be/AuMRayn6dBk?si=4XVT8TPrRGTgwSmu

On the same site are my 60-second Lenten devotions, which I wanted to tell you about, …..but again, the block. Regardless, do check them out, they are encouraging and challenging on tiny ways we can become more like Jesus.